They came, they stripped, they dipped.

The brave and the hungover gathered on the beach yesterday to partake in an annual tradition: a frigid New Year's Day swim. The group plunge, which raises funds for Camp Sunshine, is organized by the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, whose members have been dunking in the Atlantic every week since 1903. (Apparently, it boosts immunity and virility—we're happy to take their word for it.) Click through the slide show to cringe at the looks of shock and exuberance on the swimmers' faces, and to see what some of them wore for the occasion.